


Pros and Cons

by Kirsten



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-17
Updated: 2010-09-17
Packaged: 2017-10-13 15:20:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/138774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirsten/pseuds/Kirsten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I need the files on the Smith case,” Peter said.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pros and Cons

**Author's Note:**

> For whitecollar100, prompt #005 - case.

“I need the files on the Smith case,” Peter said.

Neal straightened up and tugged the files closer to his body. “But I'm working on it.”

“Aw, look at you,” said Peter. “All worker-bee in your fancy suit. Hand 'em over.”

“But -”

Peter shoved his hand under Neal's nose. Neal rolled his eyes, but he put the papers back in the files and stacked them up with the rest of the case materials on his desk.

“Great.” Peter picked it all up. “Listen, if you're bored there's always the Clinton case.”

“But that's mortgage fraud.”

“So?”

“So,” said Neal, “Smith is mortgage fraud, as well. If you make me work mortgage fraud again, I'm going to jump out of that window.”

Peter said, “Today? Seriously, I could be okay with that.”

-

Later, in Peter's office, Neal tried to remember if there were negatives to running a con. He couldn't think of any off-hand. Getting shot at could be exhilarating, and burning bridges was just part of the job. Even being chased by Peter was kind of fun.

“This is what it's like to be normal,” Neal realised. He was vaguely horrified.

Peter looked up from the Smith file. His tie was crooked. His eyes were tired. His fingers were stained with ink, and he smelled like old FBI coffee grounds and the New York day shift.

“What?”

“This,” Neal clarified. “The mortgage fraud. This is your day job.”

Peter sighed and went back to scribbling in his notepad. “Not all crimes are works of art. You don't like it, you can go back to prison.”

Neal remembered the negatives of prison quite clearly. “So where'd you put the Clinton file?”


End file.
